Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to target shooting control systems, to a system and method for controlling multiple autonomous targets, and more specifically to a control module for an autonomous target system which automatically deploys a target responsive to movement of a shooter and automatically conceals a target responsive to hit detection.
Description of Related Art
Target shooting control systems have applications, for example, in the design of pinball machines, shooting galleries, and live firing ranges. Such targeting systems provide dynamic control for positioning one or more targets to reveal or conceal the targets with respect to a shooter's field of view. A common type of target is a pop-up target, which can be toggled by a controller between the “up” or revealed position and the “down” or concealed position. The shooter, whether playing a game or training for live combat, is challenged by the target control system's deployment of different targets during a shooting exercise, by which it causes targets to pop up or down according to a predetermined sequence, in response to the shooter's location, or in response to the shooter successfully striking a target.
Movable targets are often designed to resemble a bull's eye, a game animal, or a silhouette or other image of a human torso. Mechanisms for deploying such targets are well known. One exemplary mechanism for a pop-up target comprises a central target pivotally attached to a frame to which one or more additional targets are attached in such a way that a direct hit to the central target causes it to fall backward and trip springs that reveal additional targets that were previously concealed. Another mechanism known in the art consists of a target rotationally connected to a base for pendular movement, and a balloon hidden from the shooter's view behind the target. Through a linkage, the lift of the balloon maintains a hinge in a locked position to maintain the target in an upright position. When a direct hit passes through the target and deflates the balloon, the hinge unlocks causing the target to fall over. Other, more elaborate movable targets are operated by electro-mechanical assemblies that employ motors to rotate a target between its concealed and revealed positions. Limit switches installed in the path of a rotating part of the assembly change state to turn off motor power when a desired degree of rotation has been achieved. Switching motor power polarity allows the target to cycle between the concealed and revealed positions. Other motorized systems use a spring force for rapid deployment of the target into the revealed position, so that the motor need only rotate in one direction to conceal the target and recharge the spring. Still other systems use servo motors to move targets along a track or continuously along a conveyor. It is known to employ manual, automatic, or wireless control to cycle the targets in the foregoing systems.
A growing area of interest in the field of target shooting control systems is in applications for training police and military forces in simulated live-fire conditions. Some advancements have been made in the design of combat simulation systems for both indoor and outdoor settings. One system adaptable for indoor use projects a video image of a combat scene onto a display screen at one end of a weapon range. Impact sensors on the screen detect simulated or actual fire from a shooter. Obstructions placed in the weapon range provide cover for the shooter, while return fire simulators fire non-lethal shots back at the shooter, whose position within the range is detectable using video camera feedback. A microprocessor linked to all components runs a program to read data from the impact sensors, and to control the projector, sound, cameras, and return fire simulators. Another system adapted for indoor or outdoor use deploys programmable pop-up targets along a game course. Each target is equipped with a gun for returning fire at a shooter and a hit detector for detecting a hit on the target. Each target is associated with a proximity sensor that senses the position of the shooter as the shooter traverses the course. A main controller linked to all of these components runs a program responsive to a skill level selected for the shooter. The program determines the exposure time of each target after its associated proximity sensor trips, and whether and how often each gun returns fire.
The aforementioned simulation systems are overly complex and failure prone. In particular, the use of centralized controllers linked to multiple field components limits the operator's freedom to rearrange, relocate, or expand the target system over wide and varying terrain. Microelectronic components may break down in the field, especially when exposed to harsh conditions and gunfire, and the use of centralized control notoriously renders the system susceptible to single mode failure. What is needed is a portable decentralized target control system of rugged construction that provides the system operator with the ability to easily arrange and modify a shooting course over a wide range of indoor and outdoor topography to simulate any urban warfare or combat scenario.